PM Hun Sen Tells Former Opposition Party’s Leaders Not to Look Down on Their Colleagues

Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen has reacted against some former opposition party's leaders who had criticised some politicians who had applied to regain their political rights.

Addressing to a get-together with over 10,000 workers and employees from six factories and enterprises in Pursat province this morning, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said some former opposition politicians had accused their colleagues who had obtained or been applying to get back their political rights of receiving from US$100,000 to US$200,000 in exchange of their return.

Why do you (some former opposition party's leaders) look down on your colleagues like this? They are not commodities, don't look down on them when they are not with you []. Hun Sen doesn't need to buy them; they are not commodities. We provide and support their freedom [], he added.

We respect anyone who requests to regain their political rights and we also respect those who don't do so, because this is their decision. Why do you regard them as commodities? he continued.

At least four out of 118 former opposition politicians banned from politics for five years have received the royal pardon from His Majesty the King, while at least five others are filing the request.